AA 2005 Supplementum 3

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http://hdl.handle.net/11660/9671

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Browsing AA 2005 Supplementum 3 by Subject "Higher education"

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    A case study of a higher education institutional assessment on service learning
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Mitchell, Carol; Trotter, Kirsty; Gelmon, Sherril
    English: This article focuses on the various processes undergone by the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) to research the institutionalisation of service learning. The application of three different processes and tools for assessment is discussed and located within the international context of institutional assessment trends. The relative utility of each of these assessment tools is discussed with particular emphasis placed on the narrative produced by using the Furco Rubric, as this highlights the role of contextual issues in the institutionalisation process. It is hoped that the reflections on these assessment processes will provide insight into the factors affecting the establishment of service learning as a sanctioned part of higher education’s academic and social agenda.
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    Grounding service learning in South Africa
    (University of the Free State, 2005) O’Brien, Frances
    English: In response to the multiple and often contradictory demands on higher education, increased attention is being given to service learning (SL) in South Africa. This article reviews the debate regarding the desirability of theory for SL and considers the need for locally-grounded theory. Grounded theory is advocated as a research method which appears well-suited to the diversity which characterises SL. Based upon a constructivist paradigm of knowledge creation and employing primarily qualitative methodologies, grounded theory comprises concepts, categories and propositions which emerge from, and are verified through the experiences of the multiple stakeholders in SL. Although analysis is not structured by existing theoretical frameworks, a preliminary literature review is recommended to locate potentially relevant literature and to sensitise the researcher to themes which may surface in the study. The article concludes with such a review of the sources and nature of the literature and research, particularly that emanating from the South African higher education sector.
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    Introduction: community service learning and the South African research agenda
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Erasmus, Mabel
    English: The integration of research and community service learning (also referred to as service learning or service-learning in this volume) opens up opportunities for contributing to the much discussed transformation of higher education in South Africa, through which institutions of higher education are urged to become more democratic, more responsive to community challenges, and conducive to partnership-building with a wide variety of stakeholders. The twofold premise of this introductory article is the following: service learning as a pedagogy is strengthened through scholarly inquiry and, secondly, the South African research agenda can be advanced through the philosophy and epistemology of service learning that promotes collaborative, open systems of knowledge production. The aim of the article is to establish why and how the above should and could be achieved, placing the other contributions to this issue of Acta Academica Supplementum within the framework of a more inclusive service learning research agenda for South Africa.
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    Service learning in South Africa: lessons learnt through systematic evaluation
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Mouton, Johann; Wildschut, Lauren
    English: This article is based on an evaluation report written for JET Education Services and covers a two-year period of an evaluation study of service learning courses (or modules) at five higher education institutions in South Africa. The article explores various models of service learning and considers the critical conditions for effective conceptualisation and delivery of a service learning course within an academic course. It also examines some of the key factors involved in the institutionalisation of service learning so that this form of community engagement can become a sustained and viable element of the normal academic offerings of South African higher education institutions.